A Thoughtful Gift
by FictionalFantasy
Summary: It's Christmas time and a certain antagonist does something both sweet and stupid for a certain other antagonist. (Tallowe)


**A/N: So... this was actually a little bit delayed, I had intended on getting this done before the New Year but I was busy and all. Anywho, happy holidays everyone and I'm sorry for not writing anything for a while- life has been hectic!**

**I hope you enjoy this Tallowe shipping fic, set a couple of years before the events of Uncharted 3. It's just a cute little piece, toying with certain feelings that our two favourite villains may or may not have for each other.**

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><p>It was a cold, winter's night and the navy blue sky overlooking London was illuminated by the hundreds of stars glistening above. It was almost Christmas time and the lights decorating the trees, the wreaths hanging on doors, and the bustling daytime shopping were enough indicators to get almost anyone into the Christmas spirit. Even those less-law abiding citizens…<p>

He may be part of a dark and mysterious cult organisation but Talbot couldn't help getting marginally excited for the holiday season. The living room of Marlowe's estate was festively decorated, as it was every year, but Marlowe herself often saw the tree as just being a decoration instead of having any sentimental ideology behind it- she just wasn't one to celebrate such things but she didn't deprive her men of their festivities.

In fact, she hadn't even been in the country when the decorations were put up- she had been flown out to somewhere in mid Asia on a business deal involving some trinket that Talbot knew she was interested in for some reason that she never truly explained to him. He had only gotten back from an assignment in Central America just last week and he was relieved to be back at the estate that he had come to call home for the past 17 years. He was mainly looking forward to seeing Marlowe again after spending a good three weeks away from her on this assignment, but no one else needed to know that. For all they knew, he was just eager to tell her about the successes of his work and that was all.

However, Marlowe was expected back five days ago. She was never one to be late so he knew that this delay would have her less than pleased. He had been notified by Harris earlier that day that her private plane had landed on English soil that morning and she was expected in London this evening.

Talbot kept checking his watch and looking out of the grand, old fashioned windows of the expansive living room in the hopes of seeing her black Jaguar roll in through the front gates any minute. He was holding a small package in his hand, wrapped up in gold and silver paper with a tag taped to it reading "To: Marlowe, Merry Christmas. From: Talbot x"

It wasn't until half past ten that said Jaguar drove up the driveway and approached the imposing front entrance. The driver departed and walked to the back passenger door and opened it. Once Talbot caught sight of the feminine legs step out of the car and onto the snow-dusted pavement, he darted from the soft amber glow of the living room Christmas lights and into the brightness of the antique foyer ready to greet his superior. He held the gift behind his back in a subtle manner to temporarily hide it from her sights.

The large front doors were pushed open by the escorts and Marlowe soon entered after them, a scowl etched into her mature features as she practically shoved her coat into the arms of the awaiting doorman. Her heels clicked briskly on the tiled floor as she swiftly crossed the expanse of the foyer.

"Good evening Marlowe, it's great to have you back." Talbot greeted her with his suave, British well-spoken charm and composed himself with a respectable posture and welcoming smile.

"Talbot… I don't have time for small talk, now what do you want?" Marlowe coldly responded with an exasperated sigh. Her maternal accent juxtaposed with the stern nature of her words and the way she folded her arms across her chest and leaned on one hip only further emphasised her short temper.

"I… erm, well… I don't _want_ anything exactly, I was merely welcoming you home and hoping to tell you about the success of the assignment in Central America which I'm sure will have you most pleased-"

"Shush!" Marlowe interrupted him by raising a scolding finger. "I have a lot to work on to secure this deal and it needs my full attention, I can't be wasting my time on other such things. Do you understand?" She said to him as she began marching towards the grand staircase and, of course, Talbot followed in her shadow still pursuing what he had intended to in the first place.

"But Marlowe, I think what we found would-"

"I don't want to hear it right now!"

There was an intense moment of silence as Talbot studied Marlowe's expression, her emerald eyes glaring daggers at him as he did so. She never took on such an aggressive and defensive stance towards him, unless he failed a mission and in that case- she had every right to but this was just uncalled for. He understood that certain mishaps would have angered her and the delay home only added fuel to the fire and maybe even this time of year bugged her on top of that but he wasn't going to stand by and let her take it out on him.

"Marlowe, I understand that the delay back here has you a little… agitated but is this really necessary?" Talbot still spoke in a softer tone as he continued to follow her brisk strides up the stairs and presumably towards her study where she would often hide away to do work.

"Is _what_ necessary?" Once she reached the door to her study, Marlowe sharply pivoted on her heels and rested her hands on her hips, arching an inquisitive eyebrow.

Talbot could see the anger brewing in her eyes as she spoke with such venom in her voice. He had known the woman for 17 years and knew when it was best to just leave her be and this was one of those times. "Do you know what? Never mind…" He muttered the words and began to retreat back downstairs. "I'll have your bags sent to your bedroom." He said as he trailed his hand down the banister while he slowly paced down the steps back to the living room. He knew that she needed time to cool off and she seemed to focus best when on her own.

He let out a heavy sigh as he looked at the Christmas tree, it was Christmas Eve and it was almost midnight. He had wanted to give Marlowe the gift at midnight, even though it was clichéd, but instead he placed it under the tree for her to retrieve as of when she felt like it. He had spent a long time making sure it was the perfect gift for her and, little did she know, but he had gone through a rather messy and painful ordeal to get it.

He rubbed his side where a large bruise had formed from quite an uncomfortable fall and his arm had a gash spanning from near his elbow to halfway to his wrist but luckily his suit jacket had kept it hidden. He had obtained Marlowe's gift while on his mission in Central America and the temple from which he had obtained it had a few… traps.

"The things I do for you…" Talbot muttered under his breath as he paced through the foyer and upstairs to his own room for the night.

Once he had stripped off his suit jacket, tie and shirt he looked in the mirror at his wounds. He now had to figure out how to keep them from Marlowe so she wouldn't scold him for being careless. The bruising would be easier to conceal but the gash could prove to be difficult. He dismissed it for now and climbed into his bed after changing into his pyjama bottoms and massaging a soothing cream over his bruise. Tomorrow he was going to get some answers from Marlowe, he knew that even she wouldn't shut herself off and work on Christmas Day.

Marlowe may have retreated to her study for the evening but work was far from being her top priority. The business deal was hardly beneficial and Marlowe had a lot of work to do to win over the clients and secure the object of her current desires but said work would take patience that she was currently lacking. Her patience had grown even thinner when fights had broken out, the weather took a turn for the worst and her plane broke down which had delayed her return. The disruption of her schedule only made her more frustrated- she hated when her order was disturbed.

Once in the privacy of her study, she had some time to reflect on all of the unsuccessful events as of recent and how to improve them. She perched in her chair at her desk and rested her head in her hands as she thought about the business deal. Her hand ran through her silky blonde hair as she took deep breaths to calm her inner anger. She was desperately after the artefact and she was determined to get her hands on it before any other 'collectors' even attempted it but right now things just weren't working out for her.

On her desk, Marlowe spotted some papers that Talbot must have left for her to read upon her return. She picked them up and held them in the lamplight but her 54 year old eyes struggled to read the text. She retrieved her glasses and rested them on the bridge of her nose and she skimmed over the documents. They were details of Talbot's assignment and everything obtained on the journey. The list was longer than she had expected and she was impressed- so impressed that the corners of her lips tugged into a small smile.

This miniature victory was enough to set Marlowe's mind at ease for the night, despite her nature to continue working until all is accomplished. With one mission complete she was satisfied enough to draw herself away from work for a few hours. Plus the jetlag was making her fatigued and so she left her study and strolled down the hallway to her bedroom.

She slid her black blazer from her shoulders once she had entered the room and she draped it over the back of the chair opposite the vanity table. Truth be told, Marlowe was pleased to be back in England and in her classy, vintage estate. Her dwellings in Asia were much less… tasteful and much less comfortable.

She shuddered at the thought and began to unbutton her white blouse. Once she had stripped herself, Marlowe grabbed a simple black, lacy nightdress which stopped at mid-thigh and had a low cut. Just when she had thought that she was settled enough, her mind was still racing a mile a minute- telling her that she couldn't possibly fall asleep just yet.

With a sigh, she pulled her dark burgundy silk dressing gown on and she slowly pulled open her bedroom door. She quietly walked down the stairs into the foyer and past the Christmas tree to the kitchen. The light flickered on and Marlowe filled up a glass with water, all the while she kept on insisting to herself that she was going to go straight to sleep when she would get back into bed.

After taking a gulp of the water, Marlowe turned off the light and walked through the living room again but this time, the tree caught her attention. She had noticed a single gift sitting under it and with curiosity, she knelt down to pick it up. Her deft fingers opened the tag and she squinted her eyes to read it in the soft light "Talbot…" she muttered his name as her hand trailed across the wrapping. She couldn't fathom the reasoning behind him buying her a gift. Sure, it was Christmas but they had never exchanged gifts before. But as she thought more and more about why he would buy her a gift, she began to realise how their work in more recent times had brought them closer together, not in an intimate way- she wouldn't allow for that, but in a more companionship way. He's her right-hand man, a reliable and intelligent man. Although, she couldn't help but wonder if there was or could be something more to their relationship.

Marlowe unwrapped the paper and there was a small black leather box in her hand, it was classy just like herself. She could tell that it was going to be a worthy gift. As she lifted the lid of the box, she was presented with the most beautiful piece of jewellery she had ever seen. A necklace with three large sapphires encircled with diamonds hung on a silver chain, it was an eye-catching piece that would drape over the wearer's neck and decorate any formal attire paired with it.

Marlowe knew where this came from, she had noticed that on the forms she had read earlier that Talbot had listed many extra treasures including sapphires and diamonds. He had gone to the trouble of having such a piece of jewellery crafted just for her, it was unique, valuable and… beautiful. Marlowe was in awe as she carefully took the weighty necklace from the cushion it rested on to inspect it further.

She walked back upstairs but instead of heading to her own bedroom, she took a little detour towards Talbot's. Being the boss of the organisation as well as the owner of the estate meant that Marlowe could enter any room at any time; so her to walk into Talbot's room in the early hours of the morning wasn't an uncommon occurrence. But usually, he would somehow be awake every time she felt like paying him a visit almost as if it were instinct. This time however, he was fast asleep so Marlowe was quite surprised to walk into a dark, silent room.

Talbot's room was quite large, given his position, and Marlowe stealthily paced along the floor to his bed. It wasn't exactly intruding plus Marlowe has the status to do what she pleased but this just felt slightly different to all of the other times she had walked into a room, more specifically this one, at any time of the day. She couldn't quite explain why that was but she felt as if it was necessary.

He was laying on his side when she approached him, facing the edge of his double bed and he had his duvet pulled up to his chest. His arm was draped over the duvet and as Marlowe knelt by the side of the bed she instantly noted the large gash- a dark line across his skin made pale by the moonlight shining through the crack in the curtains. He was sometimes quite a clumsy man but even Marlowe couldn't overlook this one. It was inflicted recently and it didn't take much thought to work out that he had obtained it on his mission. She gently brushed her fingertips along his arm just below the gash but as she done this, he stirred at the sensation.

Her green eyes fell on his face as he shifted. His hair was all askew and as she brushed it back from his eyes, she noticed a small scrape at the edge of his hairline, again presumably from his mission. She sighed and just caressed his hair nonchalantly a few times "Oh Talbot, what on Earth have you been up to?" she whispered. "I just can't leave you alone without you getting into trouble."

This had caused him to awaken, his eyes fluttered open and caught sight of a figure mere inches from him. He recognised the feminine silhouette to be that of his superior and this had him curious as she seemed rather content being left alone earlier. "Marlowe…?" His voice was groggy as he was still half asleep. He slowly lifted his head from the pillow and was now eye-level with her. She may have 14 years on him, but he always considered her to be the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon and the soft white moonlight only exaggerated her beauty further.

"I needed a word…" Marlowe simply stated in her stern, British accent as she rose from the floor and proceeded to climb into Talbot's bed. Personal space was not a concept that Marlowe followed, unless it applied to herself. She could assert her presence to whomever she wanted, not that Talbot minded.

He was taken by surprise, however, when she had elegantly perched herself on top of him- straddling his hips with one leg either side of him. Even in such an intimate position, she had composed herself in such a sophisticated manner. Her back was straight, chin held high and shoulders rolled back- she looked like a goddess and Talbot was speechless. He simply looked up at her, glowing with pride as she rested her hands on his chest. "You don't need to hide it from me…" Marlowe stated simply as she gently tugged the duvet down to expose his bruising.

"I wasn't… I mean, well… you were just so… busy earlier." Talbot stumbled over his words, he was flustered by the little clothing they were both wearing and the closeness of certain body parts.

"That's no excuse. You know how I feel about sloppy presentation. If you're not in top condition, it must be seen to." She spoke down to him, making him feel small but Talbot wasn't affected by it because it was just Marlowe's way of showing that she cared.

"I… right, sorry Marlowe." He sighed and went to grab the edges of the duvet, his eyes not leaving Marlowe's until he realised that he had placed his hands on her rather exposed thighs. He blushed furiously at the contact but was too terrified to even move his hands away from her incredibly soft, smooth skin.

Marlowe didn't seem to have any qualms about Talbot's touch, in fact she remained as composed as ever as if it were a completely normal thing to have your right-hand man touch you intimately. "Now that you've realised your mistakes… I can confess that I actually came here for something else." She said in a sultry, silky tone that was quite common when she was in a relaxed state.

She untied her dressing gown, to Talbot's confusion and as she opened it, she let it fall from her shoulders and she just watched him. Talbot had no idea what she was up to. If he looked into her eyes he would be able to attempt to read her intentions but his eyes were about 11 inches south. He couldn't help it, Marlowe's a beautiful woman and when she was wearing such a thin and skimpy outfit his eyes automatically wandered to what was proudly on display in front of him.

It took him a moment to snap out of his gaze and when he did, he noticed what she really wanted to show him. Around her neck was the necklace he had planned to give her as a Christmas gift. The diamonds and sapphires twinkled as the thin ray of moonlight reflected off of them and illuminated the feminine form atop of him.

"I saw your gift under the tree and when I opened it, I noticed how it was made of certain treasures found on your mission earlier this month." She began, her fingers absentmindedly trailed across his hands and up his arms that were still resting on her thighs. She had intentionally done this so that her index finger would run directly along his gash, making him wince slightly at the minor stinging. "And don't think I didn't notice that you'd hurt yourself, during said mission, the moment I walked through the door. You really are clumsy aren't you?" She scoffed in both a dry and somewhat teasing manner and Talbot knew that he shouldn't take it to heart.

"Sometimes the odd cuts and bruises can't be helped…" Talbot shrugged his shoulders dismissively but that only earned a glare from Marlowe, although it was dark, he could sense the cold threat that her gaze held.

"I would much rather have you return from a mission in one piece." Marlowe spoke in a stern tone that was quite intimidating, perhaps Talbot would consider her words more deeply now.

"I took care of it." Talbot responded in a low, slightly angered voice. He can take care of himself, he didn't need Marlowe to do everything for him- he was perfectly capable of looking after himself.

"Not well, I see." Marlowe turned her head and gestured towards the few bloodied tissues and bandages on the nightstand that Talbot had used for the gash on his arm.

Talbot didn't have a response that was more than a sigh, he assumed that Marlowe would at least be a little thankful for the gift that he had spent a lot of time, effort and money obtaining for her- but then again, Marlowe can be a very cold woman at times. His eyes didn't meet hers as he felt her look up and down at the state he was in and he felt exposed and embarrassed, he wanted to shy away under the duvet, if it wasn't tucked underneath Marlowe's slender legs.

"Talbot… I don't want you making stupid decisions only to regret them later. You're lucky that you were only hurt the way you were and that nothing worse had happened." Marlowe pointed a scolding finger at Talbot. She absolutely hated sloppy work, especially from someone who had worked so loyally alongside her for as many years as he has. She had trained him to believe that any and all failure was unacceptable. However, his mission itself was far from a failure and she was actually rather pleased to have some good news to return to, but it was the fact that he had allowed himself to get injured in the process of over-achieving his goals that had made her angry at him.

"But Marlowe… I don't regret anything." As he simply spoke those words, their gaze met and the moonlight made his dark eyes shine with devotion as he looked up at his superior, to whom he would happily be devoted to in more ways than one.

"You could have been killed." She said dryly, still clearly unimpressed by his actions and careless regard for his own safety.

"I'm careful enough to know when something is too dangerous to risk, there was just a minor misfortune and I happened to get a little hurt- that's all. I know you couldn't care less for this holiday Marlowe, but I do and having worked with you for as long as I have, I wanted to gift you with something that measures up to your wealth, your class and your radiant beauty; that's why I had the necklace made." Talbot paused as soon as he realised that he said that last part out loud and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

In fact, he half expected her to slap him round the face and fire him for such a statement but what she actually did certainly surprised him. He didn't even have time to acknowledge her pulling him up towards her and crashing their lips together in a heated kiss, which of course, Marlowe completely dominated. She had pulled Talbot into a sitting position and her body pressed against his firmly- which ultimately made him blush even more furiously as he felt the firmness of her nipples pressing against his pectorals. He only hoped that she couldn't feel a certain bulge in his trousers that became more uncomfortable, the more they kissed.

Talbot plucked up the courage to move his hands further up Marlowe's toned legs and he rested them on her backside as he shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable. But just as he felt Marlowe deepen the kiss, her lips parted from his just as quickly as they made contact. "Marlowe…?" He breathed her name with curiosity as he gained his bearings.

"Merry Christmas, Talbot." Marlowe spoke in her usual, composed manner as she climbed off of Talbot's bed.

"M-merry Christmas, Marlowe." Talbot responded, still flustered and confused from the whole ordeal and as soon as she had left the bed, he tugged the duvet up to his stomach in a subtle attempt to conceal his 'interest' in her. His eyes were trained on hers as he watched her make her way across the room with elegant, graceful strides. The black of her nightwear blended with the black of the shadows, but her slim, feminine form was still outlined by the moonlight and Talbot was captivated by her movements. Even when she paused at the door, rested a hand on the doorframe and she glanced over her shoulder back at him, he was too mesmerised to realise the subtle smirk she had across her lips.

"And do 'take care' of yourself before joining me for breakfast in the morning." Marlowe spoke in an unusually playful, yet still somewhat sinister tone as she slinked away into the darkness.

"Take care of myself…?" Talbot questioned her word choice for a moment until he looked at his lap- she must've noticed then...


End file.
